The experts of the Divine Mountains were helpless; they had no tricks left up their sleeves. Their gazes grew increasingly solemn. The higher someone’s cultivation, the more they valued their life. They understood full well that he’ll already completely infuriated the true master of Upheaval.
Although they all hailed from famous sects, it was clear that in Ye Zichen’s eyes, he didn’t care a single whit about their backgrounds.
There were only two options left to them: either they traded the life of a Xiao Family member for their freedom, or they died.
But the Xiao Family was the Lightning Emperor’s clan!
They were a transcendent family clan, second only to the God Emperor himself.
Even in the face of life and death, they had to think twice before killing Xiao clansmen.
However, it was clear from their gazes that some of them were wavering. They wanted to live on; all they needed now was the courage to take that final step, and enough time to make up their minds.
Ye Zichen naturally saw all of this. Of them, Chen Chenghe’s gaze was the fiercest. Although he currently knelt on the ground with his head lowered, he’d already clenched his fists and glanced at Xiao Zhan and his companions more than once.
“How about this? One life per Xiao Family member is a little too much, right? How about this? So long as anyone from your faction kills one of the Xiao Family members, I’ll let all three of you go.” He deliberately increased the temptation, that glanced vaguely towards Chen Chenghe.
He discovered that as soon as those words left his lips, Chen Chenghe seemed to cave even further. He was even starting to show signs of taking action.
“I’d like to see just which of you dares!” Xiao Zhan was the strongest of them, which is why Jiao Qi was currently standing right beside him; he didn’t want him to suddenly try any funny business.
The moment Xiao Zhan spoke, Jiao Qi slapped him again. This time, he hit the right side of his face; Xiao Zhan’s entire face was now swollen up.
“You….” Xiao Zhan had always been one of the chosen sons of heaven, and was an elite disciple even within the Xiao Family’s inner sect. He’d never suffered such a humiliation in his life! He struggled so hard, his eyes seemed to pop out of his heads, and his veins bulged in his neck.
At that moment, however, he felt the sharp edge of a dagger right against his neck. It cut a single millimeter into his flesh. Blood dripped down the blade and onto the floor of the great hall.
He instantly sensed Jiao Qi’s sinister aura bearing down on him from behind. That, combined with the cold metal against his throat, forced him to calm down. He swallowed his words.
Ye Zichen glanced at the traces of blood on the floor and said, don’t kill them inside the hall; I’d hate for their blood and guts to dirty my floors. Tie them up outside instead. Oh right! While you’re at it, seal their mouths so they can’t speak. I’d hate for their filthy words to dirty my ears.”
Jiao Qi, Meng Huairong, and their subordinates immediately carried them outside and tied them up. As they worked, he glanced at Chen Chenghe and said, “You’d best think it over carefully. My patience has limits.”
….
Although Xiao Zhan and his companions were bound hand and foot, the pitch black sky still flickered with lightning and fierce gusts whirled overhead. It was still deeply oppressive and imposing.
All three Xiao Family members were tied up, including Gao Xiong and his cohorts. They knelt in a row, each with an earth supreme yao forcing them to them to the ground.
Chen Chenghe and the others stood outside as well, facing them. They weren’t tied up, but they were under guard, too.
Ye Zichen sat in a chair on one side of the courtyard sipping immortal brew indifferently as he watched all this play out.
“I’ve already given you enough time to think things over. Have you made up your minds yet?”
Both groups lifted their heads at the same time. Xiao Zhan and his companions met Chen Chenghe and the others’ gazes head on.
Although Xiao Zhan no longer spoke, his gaze was a clear threat. He bore down on the others; none of them dared take action.
As for Chen Chenghe, their gazes were conflicted. Should they do it? Or not?
“None of you have anything to say? Fine. We’ll just kill all of you, then.” Without leaving them any more time to hesitate, Ye Zichen turned to Jiao Qi and said, “Jiao Qi, do it!”
When Jiao Qi heard that, he stepped towards them, and the struggle in their eyes became increasingly violent.
“Wait a moment!” Chen Chenghe’s expression shifted rapidly, his internal struggle clearly evident on the surface. He raced his hand, and the everyone, including his two sectmates, looked at him in astonishment.
“What is it?” Ye Zichen chuckled.
“I’ll do as you say.” Chen Chenghe’s eyes reddened, and his brows furrowed hideously. Right now, he was in no mood to concern himself with the ‘Lightning Emperor’s Xiao Family’ or the consequences of killing one of them…
He wanted to live.
Ye Zichen chuckled and nodded at Chen Chenghe. As soon as he spoke up, however, the only male representative of the Yellow Wind sect smiled bitterly and stepped forward as well.
“Senior Apprentice Brother Huang!” The two female disciples by his side couldn’t help but object.
Their “Senior Apprentice Brother Huang” scratched his head and shrugged at them, then looked at Ye Zichen. “I’ll do as you say as well. No matter what happens, I can’t let my junior sisters die here.”
“Senior Apprentice Brother!” The two girls were so moved, their eyes welled with tears. They naturally didn’t want to die either, but their Yellow Wind Sect was far, far beneath the Xiao Family. They didn’t have the courage to take that final step.
They knew full well just how much pressure their senior brother would have to endure because of this decision. He was the hear of their vice sect leader, and his decision would place their entire sect against the Xiao Family.
“Not bad. Alright, there’s still one spot left…..” said Ye Zichen.
“I’ll….”
“I……”
The others spoke up all at once, then looked at each other. Ye Zichen shrugged and said, “There’s just one spot, but so many of you want it. Then how should I…..”
Before he even finished the sentence, a babyfaced youth struck as fast as lightning, immediately killing all four of his competitors as well as their sect mates.
A ninth-stage earth supreme! So this youth was a ninth-stage earth supreme too!
When he came to stop, both his face and his hands dripped with fresh blood.
His grey eyes were cold, and despite the weight of everyone else’s astonished gazes, he stared directly at Ye Zichen. “This time, I’m the only one left.”
Even the youth’s sectmates stared at him in terror, but Ye Zichen smiled at him in satisfaction.
“Alright, I’ll give you the last spot.” He snapped his fingers and demigod artifact swords appeared in front of Chen Chenghe, Senior Brother Huang, and that youth.
“Do it.” These words sealed Xiao Zhan and his companions’ fates. They were still bound and gagged, so they glowered warnings at Chen Chenghe and the others repeatedly.
“Do it!”
To everyone’s surprise, the first to pick up his demigod artifact wasn’t Chen Chenghe or Senior Brother Huang, but rather the ninth-stage earth supreme youth who’d killed twelve other experts on Ye Zichen’s behalf.
He clenched his weapon, then walked up to one of Xiao Zhan’s companions. His gaze was cold and carried no hesitation. As everyone watched, he lifted his weapon into the air….
The blade swung through the air…..
The youth’s target instinctively closed his eyes, but at that moment, he heard a mighty bang.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the swordbearing youth splayed against the ground coughing up blood, and his demigod artifact had been snapped right in half.
At the same time, a massive rift opened in the dome of the sky, and a sideburned, middle-aged man stepped through. Roiling lightning flickered around him, as if intent on tearing the heavens themselves to shreds.
“I am Xiao Hu, head of the Xiao Family’s punishment division. I’d like to see just who dares touch my disciple!”
